Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1887-10-27
us FIRST ANNUAL REPORT.
Gov. Church Gives Much Interesting InfOrma-
ton as TO the Resources and ProS-
ress Of Dakota.
Railway Construction, Agricultural Develop
ment. the Public school System Among the
Topics Discussed.

w~AsHrvGToS. Special Telegram, Oct 2L-
The annual report of Lewis X Church. gov
ernor of Dakota, was received at tn e inte-
rior department to-day. It is 1l6 legal cap
pages in length and was tied with one and
one-half yards of blue ribbon 1t is written
IN typewriter on several different styles of
paper and is the best report of the reso urces
of any territory yet fled In tho interior de-
partment He starts his report by saying:
The territory has had another year of wonder
full growth in population and wealth. The re-
ports from ali sections tell OF a decided increase
OF immigration as compared with the same GATE
Of last year, and that the rush Of new coiners has
kept well up to the average OF previous seasons.
As a matter of course, the localities along the
line of the railroads and the districts having
large areas of the public domain subject to en-
try under the homestead and prescription laws
are receiving the greatest number Of settlers.
The report states that 2,067,2S1 acres Of
land were newly flied on, l, 5s6,67 acres
were acquired by final proof and cash entry,
and 1887 acres were purchased b. land
scrip. There has been a large immigration
during the year to the Deadwood, Devils
Lake and Bismarck districts, where the re-
port states much of the public lands ren:ain
unsurveyed. The area Of ansurveyed land
taken up but not filed on during the
year is estimated TO be about 200,o 600 acres,
while the sale of lands to settlers
by the Northern Pacific railway and by prf-
vate owners during the same period is esti-
mated to be about 400, 900 acres. The gov
ernor estimates that theg grand total of lands
newly fled OF and purchased by immigrants
for the year closely a~pproximates the sum
of 2,66T Psi acres, or 4.l6S miles square,
san area" continues the report, @quite
four times greater than Rhode ISL
and, about three times that of Dela-
ware. or nearly that contained within the
contained within the boundarieso of the state
of Connecticut The vacant area now open
to settlement is stated to contain 23,Sl1.-
445 acres distributed as follows: Aberdeen
district, S02.S73: Bismarck, 4,2S1, 600,
Deadwood, 5.S7S.449; Devils Lake, I,4S2;-
29s; Fargo, PSI, $50; Grand Forks. 10000;
Huron, 157, 900; Mitchell, $500; Water
town. l12.62G; Yankton, 5000
THE POPULATION OF DAKOTA
is given as 56S Az. a gain during the year
of 6S,47T. The governor states that the
large proportion of the foreign immigrants
are Canadians, and the vast numbers which
have crossed the international boundary line
4have fairly startled that country, and the
matter of loss of population through emigra-
ton to Dakota has become a subject of in
quiry by the provincial government" The
governor says that real estate has ap-
preciated rapidly, and that il in
yestors hope to pick up any
bargains they must come early. The
governor passes rapidly through Mr. Ray
mond's report of assessment and valuation
in the territory and says:
L predict that when Dakota is a state her
3 per cent bonds viii sell more rapidly than the
4l2 per cent did. Nevertheless this is the first
time in the history of the United States that a
territorial bond has sold for less than
D Der cent, and we have conclusive
proof that her credit Is better
tiles OF the East. Even st. Paul, with all her
resources and moneyed power, sold her 4I2 per
cent bonds about The same time al 1890 per
cent less premium than territorial bonds.
The report treats of railroad improve
nents at length, giving he work lone by
each company, and the following table of
construction:
Northern Pacific. Grand Forks to Pembina. 95;
Lamoure Z Edgeriy, 81; 81. Paul, Minneapolis
d Manitoba, Minot west, $50; Rugby Junction
Rutland TO Glendale, so; Minnesota line TO
WATERFOWL. Al: Chicago, ST. Paul. Minneapolis
& Omaha Salem TO Mitchell, 80; Chi
cago, milwaukee, 4 st Paul, Bristol
10; Roscoe, 20; Chicago d Northwestern
Faulkton to GETTYSBURG, IL: Vorndon to
Groton, Ia; Fremont, Elkhorn & Missouri Val
ley, Rapid City 20 sturgis, %; Minneapolis a
constructed roads in 1887, III miles.
The agricultural development of the ter
ritory receives generous consideration, each
particular crop being discussed with inter
esting data The following table is given: